Educational freebies available in 2012 provided teachers with valuable resources for classroom management, literacy activities, and visual learning tools. These resources, often shared through teacher blogs and online marketplaces, offered printable materials designed to support student engagement and organizational skills. The availability of such free educational materials allowed educators to enhance their teaching methods without incurring additional costs for classroom supplies.
Visual Classroom Management Tools
Visual aids were a significant component of the free educational resources available to teachers. These tools were designed to help students understand expectations and complete tasks independently.
Classroom Jobs Visuals and Directions
One prominent example of visual aids included classroom job visuals. These resources were particularly beneficial for students with autism or those who struggled with receptive language. The materials consisted of labels and visual directions mounted back-to-back on construction paper. Teachers could attach these to a bulletin board using Velcro, allowing for easy removal when students needed to view the task instructions on the back. This design provided immediate visual prompts for common classroom jobs, enabling students to accomplish tasks with greater autonomy.
The specific jobs included in one such freebie packet were: - Sharpen pencil - Push in chairs - Bring attendance to office - Sweep - Vacuum - Clean board - Clean tables - Wash dishes - Water plants - Give hand sanitizer
These visuals were intended to be efficient and functional. Teachers could switch jobs weekly by rearranging the Velcro labels. Alternatively, the materials could be used as task cards kept in a file folder or container, making them accessible for inclusion settings where students with disabilities might need extra support. The use of visuals helped reduce the need for verbal instructions and supported students in understanding what was being asked of them.
Literacy and Mapping Activities
Literacy resources were another key area of freebies, focusing on interactive and comparative reading activities. These materials often involved creating maps to compare and contrast stories or concepts.
Double Bubble Maps and Venn Diagrams
A literacy activity involved students creating Double Bubble Maps after reading books. These maps allowed students to compare and contrast elements of different stories. Teachers would collect the students' work and create cards based on their findings. The following day, a group activity was conducted where students used string to place the cards in the correct positions to form a large Double Bubble Map. Afterward, the string was removed, and hula hoops were used to rearrange the cards into a Venn Diagram format.
This activity was noted as being enjoyable for second-grade students. The teacher suggested that the cards could be used for various games, such as placing them in a pile on a gameboard where students name the story associated with a card to advance. This method also served as a useful literacy center for students to work on after reading the books. The freebie associated with this activity was posted on a TPT (Teachers Pay Teachers) store.
Name Maps
Name maps were introduced as a method to teach mapping concepts to students. This activity served as an icebreaker during the first week of school, helping teachers get to know their new students. The completed name maps could be displayed on a bulletin board alongside the students' names. This activity provided a dual benefit: introducing a cognitive skill and creating a welcoming classroom environment.
Interactive and Thematic Classroom Resources
Beyond direct instructional tools, freebies also included decorative and interactive elements to create engaging classroom themes.
Classroom Decor and Themes
Teachers shared photos of classrooms decorated with specific themes, such as a "jungle" theme. Free printables found online, such as welcome signs, were used to complement these themes. For example, a welcome sign with a zebra pattern could be printed and mounted on paper cake doilies with hot glue and a ribbon to create a decorative sign for the classroom door. These aesthetic touches helped create a welcoming environment for students.
Interactive Maps
In the realm of technology integration, free resources included interactive maps. One teacher mentioned adding a QR code to a wall that linked directly to an interactive map created using ZeeMaps. This allowed students to access digital content quickly using a mobile device. Tips for using such mapping tools included adding reliable websites, changing pin colors, and adding pictures to enhance the map's educational value.
Thinking Maps in Education
Thinking maps were highlighted as versatile tools applicable across all content areas, including school counseling. These maps assist students in thinking more deeply about a topic. There are eight specific thinking maps, each serving a different cognitive function:
- Circle Map: Used for defining in context (e.g., defining medical careers).
- Bubble Map: Used for describing using adjectives (e.g., desired characteristics of a nurse).
- Tree Map: Used for classifying or grouping (e.g., career areas and specific jobs).
- Double Bubble Map: Used for comparing and contrasting.
- Flow Map: Used for showing sequence and order (e.g., steps to obtain a job).
- Multi-Flow Map: Used for showing causes and effects (e.g., attending college leads to a degree and job).
- Brace Map: Used for analyzing parts of a whole.
- Bridge Map: Used for seeing analogies.
School counselors could use these maps to enhance the impact of classroom guidance lessons or small group sessions. For example, when teaching about careers, a flow map could illustrate the steps to obtain a job, while a multi-flow map could show the causes and effects of going to college. The bridge map was specifically noted for seeing analogies.
Accessing and Utilizing Free Educational Materials
The freebies mentioned were typically distributed through specific channels. Many were available for download directly from teacher blogs or via links to TPT stores. The process usually involved clicking a link or a picture to download the file. Some resources, like the interactive map, required visiting a specific platform (ZeeMaps) and potentially creating an account or using a provided link to view the map.
Reliability of Sources
When evaluating these free resources, it is important to consider the source. The materials described in the source data come from teacher blogs and TPT stores. While these are valuable community-driven resources, they are not necessarily vetted by official educational institutions. However, the descriptions provided suggest practical, classroom-tested applications. For instance, the classroom job visuals were noted as being used "in the past" and "really love the way they turn out," indicating personal experience. The literacy activities were described with specific details about student engagement and outcomes, such as being "pretty good for second graders."
Teachers looking to use these resources should verify that the materials align with their specific curriculum needs and classroom management styles. The availability of these freebies often depends on the creator continuing to host them on their chosen platform.
Conclusion
The classroom freebies of 2012 offered a range of practical resources for educators, focusing heavily on visual aids, interactive literacy activities, and classroom organization. Visual job charts provided essential support for students needing clear instructions, while mapping activities like Double Bubble Maps and Name Maps engaged students in comparative and definitional thinking. Thematic decorations and interactive digital tools like QR-coded maps further enhanced the learning environment. These resources, often shared freely among the teaching community, represented a collaborative approach to enriching the educational experience without significant financial investment.